CANTON — The St. Lawrence County Rock & Mineral Club returns for the 54th annual Gem & Mineral Show to be held again at the Canton Pavilion, 90 Lincoln St.

Show dates are Saturday and Sunday, August 21 & 22, but kicks off on Friday, Aug. 20 with the “glow in the dark” mineral hunt for kids which will take place after dark and is free to children 12 and under. Kids will be able to borrow a portable black light to hunt for brightly colored fluorescent minerals and keep all they find.

This show offers handcrafted jewelry made with precious and semi-precious stones for the jewelry lover, gemstone beads, jewelry making supplies, free lessons for the crafter, museum quality crystals, fossils, mineral specimens for the nature lover and art collector, handcrafted gift items, free mineral kits for kids, a mineral collecting trip, a lively fun-filled auction, and an Amethyst Cathedral raffle.

Fun and fellowship for rockhounds from our rock club members from several states.

A specially featured mineral identification table is available for those bringing unknown rock or mineral specimens along with them.

Admission is $3 for adults; children 12 and under free. There will be raffle tickets for door prizes throughout the day.

On Aug. 21 vendors swapping and selling will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also, at 9 a.m. is a guided rock collecting trip leaving the Pavilion to Power’s farm, one of St. Lawrence County's famous rock-hunting sites, renowned for black tourmaline and quartz crystals. The fee for collecting is $5 per person.

Dave Millis from Pennsylvania will be hosting free gem tree demonstrations on Saturday and wire wrapping classes on Sunday. He is well known for his gem trees and wire-wrapped jewelry. There is a fun Auction of donated mineral specimens and other items of interest to rockhounds starting at 5 p.m. inside the Pavilion. All are welcome, the public can attend.

On Aug. 21 vendors swapping and selling runs from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Each year the Club raffles off a huge Brazilian Amethyst Cathedral. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. The winning ticket will be drawn on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Need not be present to win.

Portions of the proceeds from this event help sponsor mineralogy scholarships at SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University, the kids’ fluorescent mineral hunt, and the mineral kits for kids.

For more information about the show, if you’d like to be a vendor, or become a member, visit the club’s website at www.StLawrenceCountyMineralClub.org, or contact club President William deLorraine at (315) 287-4652, or wdellie@gmail.com.

Follow any NYS COVID guidelines that may be in place at showtime.